3. Never Let Family Become Strangers

On my father's side, the majority of my entire family lives on Long Island. And we're not all that spread out. In fact, if I wanted to drive to every single one of my uncles and aunts houses in one afternoon, I absolutely could. My family has always been very appreciative of the fact that we're all very close, both personally and geographically. On my mother's side, sadly, it's very much the opposite. New York. Colorado. Connecticut. Virginia. My mother and her three sisters each live in a different state. That being said, as a child, damn near every night I'd hear my mom on the phone with one of my aunts, staying just as close as if they still lived under the same roof.